Eating at the same time regularly may fight dementia

 Regular meals improve gene expression in the region of the brain associated with body control, which often degenerates in Huntington's disease (HD); a form of dementia. Such eating habits also boost sleep quality and heart health, which are related to HD, in mice with the condition. Researchers believe the findings will also apply to humans and may improve the quality of life for patients with such incurable diseases.

Study author Professor Christopher Colwell, from The University of California, LA, said: 'HD is a genetically caused disease with no known cure.'  Lifestyle changes does not only improve the quality of life but also delay disease progression for HD patients are greatly needed. One group of mice were given food during a six-hour period when they were most active, which is at night as the animals are nocturnal.

The remainder ate whenever they liked. The quantity of food was the same between both groups. Professor Colwell said: 'In humans, the time of food availability would be during the day when food is normally consumed while the fast would be extended past the normal night. 'Feeding schedules play a role in the treatment of Huntington's disease'. Results reveal regular meal plans improve gene expression in the region of the brain associated with body control, known as the striatum, which often degenerates in HD.

Such eating habits also improve diseased mice's ability to run on a treadmill and balance on a beam, as well as assisting their heart rate, which is a sign of cardiovascular health. After three months of treatment, when mice reached the early disease stage, they showed improvements in their locomotor activity rhythm and sleep awakening time. The eating pattern  improved their heart rate variability, suggesting their nervous system dysfunction was improved.

Treated mice exhibited improved motor performance compared to untreated controls, this suggests feeding schedules could play a role in the treatment of HD and could lead to the development of new treatment options for neurodegenerative disorders. Regular meals boost gene expression in the brain region associated with body control. HD is a genetically caused disease with no known cure.

Lifestyle changes can improve the quality of life and delay disease progression for HD patients. Lifestyle interventions have been suggested to be preventative and therapeutic for diseases associated with ageing, such as type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders.
Caloric restriction can prolong life span and protect against a variety of pathological conditions.
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Habits that increase the risk of cancer

Forty per cent of cancer deaths could be prevented with simple lifestyle changes. Quitting smoking, eating healthier and boozing less would stop the disease. Scientists suggest habits responsible for cancer with tobacco proving the biggest burden. Other habits, includes excessive UV radiation, obesity and not exercising enough can be blamed.

Researchers at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, said the total amount is greater than 38 per cent because many deaths involved two factors. Even 'small improvements' would reduce the risk of dying prematurely from cancer, the Australian researchers claimed. Their findings, which also highlighted irresponsible sun tanning as a cause, were derived from an analysis of cancer deaths.

Obesity and infections were responsible for five per cent of the deaths while not exercising enough was blamed for 0.8 per cent.Dr David Whiteman, lead researcher of the study published in the International Journal of Cancer, found that the bad habits fueled 41 per cent of cancer deaths in men and 34 per cent in women because men smoke and drink more, spend more time in the sun and don't eat healthy foods.

The researchers concluded that the following eight habits are responsible for 38 per cent of cancer deaths. Researchers at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, said the total amount is greater than 38 per cent because many deaths involved two factors. The habits are-Smoking, Poor diet, Boozing, UV radiation, Obesity, Infections, Inactivity and Hormones.
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